Celebrate Everything, Part 3 of Defining Culture
October 23, 2008 by dr. lam
Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines Playing Doctor
Fortune Magazine stated in its 1995 Corporate Reputations survey: “There is a growing concern that companies cannot live by numbers alone. The one thing that set the top ranking companies in the survey apart is their robust cultures.” I would agree.
The one thing that I try to do almost every single day with as many staff members as possible is to share with them our success stories. Oftentimes, we tend to focus so much on how many units of Botox to draw up, did we get the proper medical clearance for next week’s patient, did the patient get the proper follow-up visit assigned, etc. that we forget why we are doing what we are doing.
I believe that my entire staff believes that we are here to “change and transform lives.” That in essence is another credo that we have. Along those lines, when I get a patient testimonial (written or video) back or a beautiful before and after photograph or a verbal testimonial, we stop all the presses and we celebrate for a moment why we are who we are and why we do what we do.
Southwest Airlines is perhaps the paragon of culture. They celebrate everything. There is always a party going on. Although we make it a point to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and other milestones, we celebrate why we are here every day every waking moment when we see how a life has been touched and transformed. I had a patient say to me at the consultation last week, “I hope you are as good as how much your staff says you are. It is unbelievable.” I just smiled.
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